Bullies
by BookishGray
Summary: 'Write fluff' they said. Well here you go: Garry has noticed something is bothering Ib. How can you blame her? Bullies are tough. Set a couple months after the incident at the gallery. Possible one-sided Ib x Garry (only on Ib's side). Might add other chapters if you guys want it.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I categorized it as both Family and Romance because I'm currently leaving it up to the reader to decide how the characters feel about each other. If that changes later on, it will only be one-sided IbxGarry (Ib's crush on him). ****_Btw: Mary is still a minor character in this fic, even in the real world. I know that isn't really possible, it's just something I thought to add in because I still feel bad for killing her in my favorite ending of the game. Don't hate me because of it._**

"Thanks again for babysitting Ib on such short notice," Ib's mother told Garry while escorting her daughter into his small, cluttered apartment.

"No problem, Mrs. Taylor. Good luck with your business trip," Garry said sincerely. Ib's mother beamed. She was still in lack of an explanation of how the two met – and was admittedly skeptical of Garry at first – but she approved of Ib and Garry's friendship greatly now. In the few months her and her husband had known him, the young man had become like a son to their family.

"Listen, Garry," Mrs. Taylor whispered in a low voice, "there's something wrong with Ib today. I don't know what, but you're better at talking to her than us, so would you mind…" Garry interrupted her before she could finish.

"I'll talk to her. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine," Garry assured her.

"I know. Are you sure you don't mind if she spends the night?" She asked.

"None at all, Miss," Garry replied, and took Ib's overnight bag from her mother.

"Thank you, Garry," Mrs. Taylor expressed her gratitude once more.

Garry nodded and shut the door as the woman left. He turned and snuck into the living room as quietly as possible. Ib, who was sitting on the couch and facing away from her pursuer, was totally unaware of her friend's mischievous intentions. Garry crept up silently behind the small child and quickly snatched her from under the arms and lifted her above his shoulders.

Instead of the playful giggle he expected from his friend, Ib squealed and hissed, "Put me down, Garry!" A look of confusion spread over his face as he set her gently back onto the couch.

"But you love to ride on my shoulders," Garry argued. Ib just crossed her arms and pouted. The tall, lanky man strode around to the other side of the couch and sat next to Ib. "Would you like dinner?" He offered. The girl in red just barely shook her head.

"Do you want to play, then? How about hide-and-seek?" Garry suggested. Another nearly imperceptible shake. "TV?" Ib shook her head. "Drawing?" And another shake. "Reading?" Not even a response.

"What's wrong, Ib?" he asked sympathetically. She finally looked up at him with those big, crimson eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, and then shut it, as if she couldn't find the words.

Ib gazed directly into his deep, sapphire eyes, searching for some sort of answer. She always found an answer with Garry. She soon found a suitable one and spoke, "Do you think I'm pretty?"

The question caught Garry off-guard. He quickly stuttered, "Why, Ib, of course you're pretty! Why would you ever think not?"

"A boy at school and his friends told me they all liked Mary better because Mary was prettier than me. They said I'm not pretty."

Ib's response shocked Garry. "Well, Mary _is _very pretty. But nobody is prettier than you, Ib."

Ib smiled. "Really?"

"Of course!"

"You're not just saying that?" she questioned.

"No, not at all. I believe you are the most beautiful little 9-year-old I've met," Garry assured her.

"Okay!" Ib exclaimed, jumping off the couch. She patted Garry on the chest. "You're it! Count to 20! I'm hiding!" She announced. She ran down the hall as Garry covered his eyes and counted. He smiled to himself even though inside he was downright angry. Never had he met a child as sweet, selfless and innocent as Ib. It made his blood boil in his veins just thinking about how someone could be so rude to her.

The rest of the night went smoothly. Garry made dinner and Ib told stories of what she'd done in the last week as they ate. Afterwards, the two played for a while longer, and then Ib took a bath as Garry set up a sleeping bag on the floor of his bedroom. As bedtime came around, Garry tucked Ib into his own bed and slept on the floor himself.

"Goodnight, Garry," Ib called down.

"Goodnight, Ib," Garry replied.

"And Garry?" Ib added.

"Yes, Ib?"

"I think you're pretty, too!" Garry laughed softly. He was sure of it: there was no child as precious as Ib was. She was the best of them all.

**_NOTE_****: I have 2 other chapters drafted for this fanfic. I don't know whether to leave it as a one-shot or not. Please tell me whether or not you think I should continue in the reviews. Yes, this is a bit fluffy, but I wanted a break from my usual sad/angst style. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you so much for the support you've given for this story! I haven't written fluff in a long time and it felt awesome that you guys liked it so much. I have a 4-day weekend starting today, so I'm gonna be doing a LOT of writing during it. So - without further ado - here is chapter 2:**

* * *

"Garry!" A sweet, girly voice yelled when the said man opened the door to his apartment. A flash of white and red and brown sprinted inside and latched itself to Garry's leg.

"Hey, sweet pea. How are you?" He greeted Ib.

"Good!" The little girl replied and ran past him into the living room.

"I'm sorry for asking two nights in the same week," Ib's mother apologized as she appeared in the doorway.

"It really is no problem, Mrs. Taylor," Garry replied.

Mrs. Taylor smiled. "Thank you, Garry."

With that, Ib's mother left and Garry followed his friend into the next room.

What Garry didn't tell Mrs. Taylor was that he needed Ib as much as Ib needed him. Sure, he was the phone call in the middle of the night when the nightmares struck, and he was the last-minute babysitter just about any night of the week he was needed, and he was just the overall great best friend, but Ib kept him secure.

Without her, Garry knew he wouldn't have been the same person. The experience at the gallery was life-changing, but it was Ib who truly shaped the young man. He hated to see her in pain, especially if it were because of bullies. He'd had his share of bullies in the past. After all, it was them that caused him to drop out of high school at 17, start smoking and dye his hair the lavender color it currently was. He knew his life was going in the wrong places, and Ib helped him straighten everything out. He refused to even think about a cigarette around her, and he got a part-time job and enrolled in an online high school just to try to be a better role model for her. But he was still keeping his hair color. He liked it like this. Plus, Ib thought it was his natural color. ANYWAY... Garry was practically Ib's brother, and he wasn't going to mess up her future by letting his own slip away. He thought about all this as the night progressed. At dinner, Ib snapped him out of his thoughtful reverie and asked him another strange question.

"Hey, Garry. What does mature mean?" She asked.

"Mature?" Garry responded. He thought for a second. "It means 'adult-like' or 'strong'. Why do you want to know?"

Ib looked down at her plate. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Garry persisted.

Ib shook her head. "No, I'm not sure. A boy said he liked Mary more because Mary was smarter and more mature and me."

"The same boy?"

Ib nodded. Garry clenched his teeth a little, but hoped Ib didn't notice. The last thing he wanted was for Ib to emulate his temper. "Ib, that's not true! It takes a lot of smarts and maturity to find your way out of that horrific gallery. And you did half of that all by yourself, didn't you?"

"I guess so," Ib responded solemnly.

"Why do you listen to this boy if he's so mean to you?" Garry questioned.

Ib didn't look up at him, but just kept pushing her food around her plate. "I don't know. You probably wouldn't understand."

Garry suddenly understood. "Ah, I see. Do you like this boy, Ib? _Like _like?"

"No, of course not! He's so mean and horrible!" Ib scrunched up her nose in disgust. She added, "I just want to know if the boy I _do _like feels the same way that the mean boy does about me."

"Does he?"

"He says he doesn't, but it's probably just because he doesn't know I like him. He probably doesn't like me back," Ib said sadly, looking up into Garry's bright, sapphire eyes for the first time.

"Don't say that! What little boy wouldn't like a boy as sweet as you?" Garry remarked, and added a playful tussle to her hair.

_He isn't quite a little boy anymore. Little boys aren't 18 years old. _Ib wanted to tell him. She instead said, "Thanks, Garry."

"You know what?" Garry said.

"What?" Ib replied.

"How about I pick you up from school tomorrow so that boy won't bother you?" he suggested.

"Really?" Ib asked.

Garry nodded. Ib smiled back at him. "Great!" She finished her meal in a heartbeat, took her plate to the sink in the kitchen, and ran off to the bathroom. The rest of the night was calm and typical. Once again, Ib took a bath and then fell asleep on Garry's bed. Garry slept on the couch.

* * *

Out of the blue, a strangled cry sounded from his bedroom. Garry woke up in an instant and practically sprinted to his room to check on Ib. "Ib! Are you alright?" He called without hesitation.

Ib was already sitting up in the bed and had a single tear running down her cheek. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Did you have a nightmare?" Garry inquired. It was common for Ib to have nightmares such as this, but she'd never had one at his house. He wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

Ib nodded, though it was obvious they both already knew that. "I dreamed we were back at the gallery. We were walking along, and suddenly we all fell into a big box. We fell down and you lost your rose. You never found it, and Mary and I had to leave without you because you fell asleep and wouldn't wake up. She started crying harder.

Garry hushed his young companion and said, "Don't worry. That didn't happen. I'm right here, okay?"

Ib nodded. "I can't lose you," was all she said in reply.

"Do you want me to sleep on the floor in here again?" Garry offered. Ib just nodded.

The two soon fell asleep. Garry rested on the floor, covered in a blanket, and Ib slept soundly in the bed. Neither of them were conscious, yet they both understood and acknowledged each others' presence. It worked this way between them, their special bond. A 9-year-old and 18-year-old were a pair rarely seen, but it seemed so natural to them and others.

While in Garry's presence, Ib had no other nightmares, but Garry had one he didn't tell anyone about later. He dreamed Ib ended up like he did: broken and sad. All because of those horrible bullies. He knew, even in his sleep-filled state, if he ever caught those kids taunting Ib that way he would make sure they never were rude to anyone ever again.

* * *

**A/N: Ooooh! I can't wait to finish the last part. Definitely my favorite. And yes, Ib's nightmare was a parody version of the "Together Forever" ending. I don't even know why, but I always add something sad somewhere. (Did you like the implied Ib x Garry or not? I feel weird writing it, but I can't help loving fics where Ib has a crush on him. Gosh, I'm weird...) Thanks for reading! **

**~BookishGray**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I decided to split this chapter into two parts because it was SO FREAKING LONG (well at least compared to the others). I didn't expect to have so much to write about. The next one will be up later today, plus an epilogue later this weekend. Hope you enjoy! Love you guys so much! 3 :3**

* * *

Garry was on his way to Ib's school. He knew the route by heart, having once gone to the same elementary school. He really didn't want to go back to that school – a place he blamed for his painful childhood – but he had promised Ib that he would pick her up, and he knew he couldn't let her down.

* * *

It wasn't uncommon for Garry to be late. Whenever he picked Ib up from school, he was usually a few minutes late. He did live in the middle of the city though. But Ib couldn't wait another moment. Garry couldn't get there fast enough. She was through waiting, she decided. She had to go. _Now_.

* * *

Garry pulled into the parking lot and started toward the main building. _That's odd, he thought, Ib is usually sitting on that bench in front whenever I pick her up_. He surveyed his surroundings. A few kids were playing on the jungle gym or the swings on the playground, and a few were just coming out of the front doors of the building.

"Ib?" He called out. No response. A couple of kids looked his way, gave him a lingering glance, and turned back to their activities. He knew something wasn't right. Ib wouldn't just leave, and there's no way she went home with anyone else knowing Garry was coming to pick her up. Something was very wrong. And he was positive he knew what it was.

Now, most people would look at a place such as this and think, "Now, why would a child want to go here?" Garry knew better. His car slowly pulled up to the café. He knew she'd have gone here. It was the place where they first met, besides the gallery, and she always went here when she felt depressed. He jogged inside and looked around. There were a few people around, but no Ib. The owner of the café came out of the kitchen.

"Garry! Good to see you!" The portly chef greeted.

"Good to see you too, sir. Have you by any chance seen Ib?" Garry asked hopefully.

"I saw her run by the window. She stopped in front of the door, and I thought she was coming in, but she just looked behind her and ran forward again. She seemed distressed," The man told Garry.

"Were there any other children with her?" Garry asked, hoping the answer was "no".

"Yes." Garry's hopes deflated and his stomach sank. "A little blonde girl in a green dress seemed to be trying to get her to stop. And there were also a couple of rowdy boys trailing them."

"I see," Garry responded. "Thanks, sir." With that, he jogged back out to his car. There was one more possibility. It was a long shot, though.

* * *

The building was white, neat, fancy. It seemed to radiate sophistication. Ironically, Garry was wearing the same casual and loose-fitting outfit he was when he first came here. His tattered blue jacket fluttered into the wind as he briskly walked into the gallery. He got the shivers just by walking into the building. This place still gave him the creeps. Luckily, the Guertena exhibition ended months ago, and a new artist's work was being shown. He wouldn't have to deal with those headless statues while he looked for Ib, at least.

Upon entering the gallery, he heard a familiar voice call, "No, please wait! I'll get them to stop, just come here!" Then he heard the back entrance open and shut multiple times. He immediately followed the voices and footsteps out of the door, and into the meadow that lay behind the gallery.

"Where'd she go?" A voice asked.

"I don't know! This is all your fault, you jerk!" The familiar voice yelled back. He recognized it this time. Mary. He looked to where the voices were coming from and noticed Mary standing with a girl and three boys in the middle of the meadow. Mary looked furious. She had her hands on her hips, her fists were clenched, and her blue eyes were more piercing than ever.

One of the boys turned and saw movement in a small cherry tree at the edge of the meadow. "I see her!" He proclaimed, and motioned his friends to follow as he sprinted toward Ib.

Garry followed from a distance, slightly confused and not yet understanding what exactly was going on. "What's wrong, idiot?" the boy taunted when he reached Ib, who was sitting against the tree, sobbing softly.

Another boy cut in and said, "No, no she isn't an idiot. She's an _Ib_-iot!" The group all laughed hysterically, except for Mary.

"I said to stop it! I mean it!" Mary yelled.

"Gonna go cry to your imaginary boyfriend again? Or does he even exist?" The first boy jeered as he turned to his friends. "I mean, who has purple hair, anyway? She's obviously just making it up because she has no friends!" Ib didn't respond. She didn't fight back. She just turned away.

Garry's jaw clenched, and his hands made tight fists without him even directing them to. The group of kids faced away from him, so it startled them all when he yelled, "HEY!" and stormed over to the ringleader of bullies.

"Waah!" The kid cried. "You're real?!" The boy physically shrunk down under Garry's towering height.

"No, duh, I'm real!" Garry shouted with a hint of sarcasm. "And what right do you have to treat Ib like that?" His voice didn't lower in volume any.

"I… Uh… I…" The boy stuttered.

"I thought so," Garry said, lowering his voice a little.

"And if I ever catch you speaking like that to my best friend – or anyone – ever again, I am going to take you straight to your parents and tell them exactly what you have done. Do you hear me?" The boy nodded feebly and ran off with this three friends. The little blonde former painting-girl looked up at Garry and whispered, "Thanks." Garry gave her a soft smile. The two were rivals – nearly complete opposites – back in the gallery, but they gave all that up for one thing: Ib. Garry softly strode over to his broken down friend, picked her up like a toddler, and let her sob into his neck. He rocked her back and forth gently for a few minutes before she calmed down a little, and he carried her back to his car. He set her up in her car seat and turned to Mary, who shyly looked up at the young man.

"Come on, Mary," Garry motioned her toward the car, "I'll take you home."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Mini chapter! This just kinda wraps everything up. I'll publish the epilogue either tonight or tomorrow. Hope you enjoy! Thanks if you favorite, follow or review! Love y'all! 3**

* * *

He dropped Mary off at her house (somehow, she had manipulated reality when they exited the Fabricated World, and become the daughter of a loving couple with no children. Don't ask how, even the narrator doesn't know). He then made his way to Ib's residence.

He escorted Ib into her home. Mrs. Taylor, who sat in the dining room, stood up with a start upon seeing her daughter trudge in so heartbroken. She walked over to Ib, knelt down, and hugged her daughter tight. She looked up at Garry over Ib's shoulder and mouthed, "Bullies?" Garry nodded once, a grim expression on his face.

Ib pulled away from her mother. "Can we talk about it?" she asked Garry quietly. It was the first sentence she'd said to him that day.

"Go ahead, Ib. I'll be there in a second," he confirmed. She ran off toward the living room. Garry looked back to Ib's mother. "I found her at the gallery." Was all he said. Her mother nodded.

She had absolutely no idea why the gallery was so important to Ib, but she knew it had something to do with Garry. She figured it was where they met. But Ib's nightmares usually have to do with art…

Garry followed Ib into the living room without another word. Ib already sat on the couch, and patted a spot next to her, motioning Garry to sit there. "What happened?" Garry asked. "You ran all the way to the gallery."

"They wouldn't leave me alone," Ib said sadly, "Those boys kept calling me names and saying I didn't have any friends and nobody liked me, and no one would ever love me."

"What about that other girl?"

"She just follows them around because she thinks they're cool. She wasn't like Mary, and she didn't try to help me."

"Oh, Ib," Garry said, pulling his young friend into a hug. "You know your parents love you, right?"

"That's different. They have to love me," Ib argued, but didn't pull away from Garry's embrace.

"You're like a sister to me," Garry assured her.

"That's still different." Both Ib and Garry were visibly hurt from each other's comments, but in very different ways. _Yeah, I know._ Ib thought_, I'm just your sister_.

"Wait here," Garry commanded as he stood from the couch and walked over to the coffee table where a red rose sat in a water-filled vase. Ib's parents always kept a red rose somewhere in the house due to Ib's strange request. He gently pulled the rose from the vase. He knelt in front of Ib and held the rose in front of her. "What is this?" He asked.

"It's a rose," Ib answered.

"No, what is it to_ you_?" Garry clarified.

"It's… it's life. It's me," Ib replied cautiously.

"Exactly. And what do people think of roses like this?" Garry asked again.

"They think it's pretty? Or sweet?"

"Yes, they do. They think it's beautiful and sweet and majestic. And if a rose is beautiful, and your life is a rose, then you must be beautiful, too!" Garry said cheerfully.

Ib smiled for the first time that day. "Yeah, I guess so." She leaned forward and hugged Garry softly. "I love you, Garry," she whispered.

"Love you too, Ib," he told her.

She smiled wider, though Garry couldn't see it. She knew he didn't quite mean it the way she did, but he loved her nonetheless. At that moment, Ib was certain of one thing: even if no one else ever cared for her again, she would always have Garry to keep her company.

* * *

** A/N: *sigh* I'm kind of sad this is over. I really enjoyed writing it every step of the way. And the support you guys showed made it so much better. The epilogue will be finished soon, and takes place when Ib is just getting out of high school. Thinking about going full-on Ib x Garry for that little chapter. Well, I could always make a sequel, I guess. I really need to write fluff more often, I think. See you guys soon! :3 **

**~BookishGray**


	5. Epilogue

A/N: Welcome to the final installment (sadly) of this story. I'm really gonna miss writing this. So let's go out with a bang. Here's to my full Ib x Garry shippers ;)

* * *

*************NINE YEARS LATER**************

* * *

"Just leave me alone, would you, Thomas?" A girl asked, annoyance filling her voice.

"Say you'll go out with me, then," the boy next to her argued. She could not believe he was asking her out. The fact that he had the audacity to believe she'd like him after the horrible things he'd done to her as a child was mind-blowing.

"I said no. I'm interested in someone else, okay?"

"Oh, come on, Ib! Why do you even like a guy like that? Plus, he's like – what – 40 now?" The boy complained for the millionth time.

"27!" Ib corrected. "I never said I liked him! Look, I appreciate it, but no thanks, dude. You blew your chance."

"When?"

"In 3rd grade."

"You still remember that?" Ib just scowled and buried her head in a book. How many times had she had this one thought go through her mind over the years: When is Garry going to be here?

* * *

Garry pulled up to the high school. He couldn't believe Ib was graduating tomorrow. Had they really known each other that long? He saw her sitting on a bench out in front and bent over a book. That idiot kid Thomas was bugging her again. He may not bully her anymore, but, boy was he persistent.

He got out of his car and headed toward his friend. Ib looked cute with her school uniform nicely fashioned and hair done up into a braid, and Thomas' messy, creased uniform wasn't complimenting her at all, Garry thought. Wait… since when do I think of Ib as that kind of cute?

* * *

"You know, maybe I was wrong to ask you out," Thomas said, trying to play off his rejection. Once a jerk, always a jerk. "You're nothing but a rotten-"

"If you finish that sentence with the word I think you're going to, then I'll make sure you won't wake up for a week," a voice said behind Thomas. The bully stiffened and turned to face the tall, lavender-haired man that had stood up to him when Thomas was a child.

Ib was shocked. She had seen Garry angry before, but this was different. His eyes were full of loathing and coldness, and his tone was dangerously calm. A small gasp escaped her as her friend took Thomas by the shirt collar and pulled him so the boy's face was just inches from his own. "Anything more to say?" Garry grumbled.

Thomas shook his head quickly, nervously. He shook himself out of the older man's grip and ran off toward the school. Ib looked up at her friend with an expression of pure astonishment.

"You didn't have to do that," she said as she stood.

Garry shrugged. "He deserved it."

Ib took his hand as they walked back to his car. Garry looked away from her, trying to conceal the redness that had seeped into his cheeks. "Thanks, anyway," she said.

"Yeah. So have you decided where you're going to go for college?" Garry asked light-heartedly. He hoped Ib didn't notice his disappointment. Every university she had been interested in was at least a five hour drive from his apartment.

"Yep! Callion University!" Ib announced.

Garry's eyes widened. "But you wanted to go to that school in Washington! WASU or U-Dub or something like that! Those schools are both better than Callion!" Garry protested. He thought for a second. Wasn't Callion in this city?

"Yeah, maybe, but I don't think I could handle a long distance relationship with my boyfriend," Ib remarked with a smirk.

Garry's eyes widened even further. "Boyfriend?!" Ib just smiled at him. Using that weird best-friend telepathy they had, Garry understood. His cheeks reddened further and he looked down at his feet. "Oh," was all he said. "We haven't talked about this."

"You're just slow, Garry. Even my parents knew before you did," Ib teased.

"I'm 27."

"I'm 18."

"Stop being persistent."

"Stop being pessimistic."

"Honestly, Ib."

"Love you!"

"Love you, too," Garry grumbled. _Did I really just say that out loud? _He thought. He began to regret it until Ib planted a kiss on his cheek and climbed into the shotgun seat of his car. All Garry thought was, She_ really needs her own car._

* * *

**A/N: Yep! And that's the end. I seriously can't believe it's over, but I can't drag it out any further without it being repetitive so I kind of just left it with some closure for them later in their lives. I mean, come on, I couldn't resist. They're just so adorable together once they're older ;3 Thank you so much for reading! Love you guys so much! I'd try to make a "less than 3" heart, but apparently it doesn't work. So I'll just say it again. Love y'all!**

**~Gray**


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